1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system, device and method for receiving goods or other items, purchasing goods, scheduling and tracking deliveries, receiving deliveries or ordered items utilizing a specialized device, making and processing payment, inventorying items scheduled for delivery and items delivered and making information about deliveries available through a variety of means.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The recent upsurge in e-commerce whereby a consumer accesses a website over the Internet to purchase goods for delivery to the home, office or other site has created an increased need for scheduling and tracking the deliveries, as well as for providing a safe and secure site for receipt of the goods when they are delivered to an unoccupied site. The convenience of being able to avoid making a trip to a retail store or outlet to purchase goods, and being able to order such goods for deliveries to home, office or other site “on-line” is off-set by the problems surrounding the delivery of the goods to the purchaser. If the purchaser is not available on-site to receive the goods, he must either re-schedule for another delivery or the goods must be left unsecured at the site, thereby being subject to theft or damage.
It is an object of the invention to provide a device which enables the safe and secure receipt of purchased or other goods, delivered to a site without a person in attendance.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system for the remote purchasing of goods, making and processing payment therefor, inventorying the purchased goods, scheduling and tracking the delivery of the goods, as well as making information available about the delivery through a variety of means.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a method for the remote purchasing of goods and for providing the safe and secure delivery of the purchased goods to a desired site.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a delivery technique where the size (overall volume and length, height, and width) of an order is compared to available space (volume and length, height, and width) within a locked storage container or appliance in which the delivery is to be made, delivery is scheduled for a time when sufficient space is available, and access to the locked storage container is granted to a delivery person only during a scheduled time interval.
A still further object of the invention to provide delivery to a locked storage container corresponding to a customer and where an account of the customer is charged for the delivery (i.e., the costs of the goods and/or the delivery service) upon insertion of the order with the container.